Hiroya Oku
| Hiroya Oku | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1967年09月16日) September 16, 1967 (age 57) Fukuoka, Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Pseudonym(s) | Kuon Yahiro (久遠 矢広) |
Notable works | Hen Gantz Inuyashiki Gigant |
| Awards | Runner-up in Young Jump Youth Manga Awards (1988, Hen) |
Hiroya Oku (奥 浩哉, Oku Hiroya, born September 16, 1967) is a Japanese manga artist, who is the creator of Gantz , Gigant , Hen , and Inuyashiki , the first two of which have been serialized in Weekly Young Jump . Originally influenced by Katsuhiro Otomo and Ryoichi Ikegami,[1] his manga often contain explicit violence, sexual depictions, and matters that are considered taboo by the public, and he is known as a pioneer in the use of digital processing for manga backgrounds.
His debut manga Hen was a runner-up in the 1988 Young Jump Youth Manga Awards. The pseudonym he used at the time of its serialization was Kuon Yahiro (久遠 矢広).
Oku designed a character for Namco Bandai's Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 fighting game, Soulcalibur IV named Shura.
Works
[edit ]- Hen (1988–1997)
- There are two series of Hen; the first, with kanji, ran for 13 volumes—the first three are short story collections, and the remaining ten are a romantic comedy in which both leads are male. The short stories were later repackaged as "Aka" and "Kuro".
- The second series, 8 volumes, with the title only in romaji, is a romantic comedy in which both leads are women. This series has been adapted into an anime.
- Zero One (1999–2000)
- There are only three volumes, about a video game tournament. The series was cancelled abruptly due to poor sales figures and reception.
- Gantz (2000–2013)
- It consists of 37 volumes. The first eight have been adapted into the first 21 episodes of the two seasons of the anime, with the final five episodes consisting of a different story that does not follow the manga.
- Maetel no Kimochi (2006–2007)
- Three volumes in all, about a shut-in or hikikomori falling in love with his young stepmother after the death of his father.
- Inuyashiki (2014–2017)
- A story about an aging and ill salaryman who is transformed into an unstoppable battle machine after aliens accidentally destroy his body.
- Gantz:G (2015–2017)
- A spin-off of Gantz with art by Keita Iizuka.[2]
- Gigant (2017–2021)
- Rei Yokoyamada, a high school boy who falls in love with Papiko, an adult video actress with big breasts who gains the power to become gigantic.
- Gantz:E (2020–present)
- A historical spin-off of Gantz with art by Jin Kagetsu.
References
[edit ]- ^ ×ばつ奥浩哉の師弟対談(1/4) January 14, 2014
- ^ "Hiroya Oku, Keita Iizuka Launch Gantz Spinoff Manga in November". Anime News Network. October 16, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
External links
[edit ]- Hiroya Oku on Twitter
- Hiroya Oku at Anime News Network's encyclopedia